In the world of architecture, there has been a strong storm coming from Canada and USA since the early 1960s. It was a powerful cultural force, that pushed through established, conventional norms of architecture like a tornado, but a tornado which not only destroyed the old and boring but also created and invented. This tornado goes by the name of Frank Gehry. Born in 1929, Gehry eventually moved to the USA, where he started his business. Surprisingly, it was a furniture line, but that was just the first step. After having saved enough money, he began by transforming his own home, thus creating a name for himself. What followed were the gradual steps of becoming a living icon of architecture, that has remodeled many urban landscapes and even created an economic phenomenon. We have combined 10 of his most famous buildings that defined an era of building design.

Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California

It took over 15 years from the start of the Walt Disney Concert Hall project to its completion. When it was finished back in 2003, the final project cost was estimated to be $274 million. Yet critics and locals agree – it was worth the wait and the money. A monument of modern architecture created what has become an essential part of the city. And if you’re wondering what the inspiration behind something grand like this, it’s the wind. Gehry’s a passionate sailor, therefore the building looks as if it is in motion.

Frank Gehry’s Residence in Santa Monica, California

Postmodern, avant-garde, unconventional, striking, eclectic, chaotic. These and many other adjectives followed Gehry after he established himself as an architect. But the very start was his own house, which, he altered to attract attention not only from passers-by but from future clients and critics as well.

The Fish, Barcelona, Spain

Yes, it’s what it looks like – a colossal abstract fish. This eye-catching sculpture was presented to the world back in 1992, during the preparations for the Olympics that took place in Barcelona later the same year. It’s made of metal plates so the humongous fish reflects sunlight and therefore changes its colors and looks even more vivid in real life.

Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota

An abstract piece of art. Yet we’re not talking about Jackson Pollock’s canvases, but about an entire building. This eye-catching construction is part of University of Minnesota’s campus and its significance is measured not only by its looks but by the fact that it was built before using computers became an unquestionable tool in the field of architecture.

Fred and Ginger, Prague, Czech Republic

There are good dancers and bad dancers. And it’s not people that we’re talking about this time, but buildings. The Fren And Ginger or The Dancing House in the Chech Capital is one of the most controversial works of Gehry, because of the audacity that he had when he thought of and implemented the idea of building two modern, dancing buildings that don’t fit in with their classical surroundings. Yet unusual shapes have enriched Prague’s old town and now it’s iconic. Oh, and the name ‘Fred and Ginger’ was chosen because of the dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers that inspired Frank Gehry.

Guggenheim Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain

Even though It looks like something where Ice King from Adventure Time would live in if he had a house in Spain, Guggenheim Bilbao serves a big purpose – it’s a museum of modern and contemporary art which in itself is a piece of art. Named as one of the most important works of architecture in the last decades by numerous experts, this building has many reasons why it’s unique. This construction was so successful and well acclaimed that it started attracting tourists to the city of Bilbao. Lots of tourists. During the first 12 months since the museum opened, tourists generated $160 million for the local economy. This building basically revived an entire city. This economical phenomenon even received a name – the Bilbao Effect.

Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle, Washington

This massive construction looks like it’s melting under Seattle’s mellow sun, yet it’s far from that. This sheet-metal covered structure was inspired by the rock music and the energy that it embodies. Gehry even admitted that the preparations included buying and putting together guitar pieces in order to create a form which would inspire the soon-to-be the museum of pop culture.

The Iac Building, New York

This one is different. No sparkly and shiny sheet-metal in sight, which automatically made The Iac Building stand out from other creation by Frank Gehry. That’s why it’s said that above its resemblance to the sails of a ship, it’s conceptually closest to an iceberg. And indeed it looks like one, resting in the ocean that is New York.

RICHARD B. FISHER CENTER, ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK

Since it was opened back in 2003, it received a lot of positive attention. “The best small concert hall in the United States” is how it was once described. Even though seeing it through a picture can be deceiving and it might look relatively small, it actually consists of two theaters and several rehearsing studios. Also, the building is in harmony with nature, as Gehry chose the green approach while designing the piece, aiming to reduce the need for fossil fuels.

PETER B. LEWIS BUILDING, CLEVELAND, OHIO

Named after a famous philanthropist and the CEO of an insurance company, this building serves as the classrooms for the Weatherhead School of Management’s students. Imagine having classes in a building that looks like it’s straight out of a Picasso painting.